Purify
by Yukkari
Summary: The Jewel was meant to be purified... Will Inuyasha find a way to accomplish this, or will his demon blood consume him and destroy him? Please read and review, I would really appreciate it :o


"_This blood that flows through me… This demon blood… It isn't what I imagined… It isn't what I wished for…"_

Inuyasha could not stop himself from transforming. He had lost himself and everything that he had once known. The demon blood coursing through his veins was foreign – unfamiliar. It wasn't like he had imagined at all. It consumed him – ate away at his heart and mind. Soon there would be nothing left of the Inuyasha that was once known to all. The half-demon would be forever changed.

Inuyasha desperately fought the feeling. He did not want to transform – especially not this close to the others. But he couldn't help it. The demon blood was taking over – his father's blood. All he had wanted was to be a full demon. Now it was happening, and he realized it wasn't what he wanted at all…

"_Not like this… Not like this… It wasn't supposed to happen like this…"_

They had all seen him transform before, but somehow he always was able to fight it. Either that or she could reverse the process. This time it would be different – Inuyasha had a sinking feeling. It seemed to be different even to him. He couldn't control it – he couldn't stop it.

His vision began to blur. The figures of his friends, worried looks and all, began to haze before him. His breathing became ragged and a low growl escaped his lips. The usually clean face became scarred with purple lines – his eyes turned red. There was no stopping the transformation – Inuyasha was becoming a full demon…

"_Please… I just don't want to hurt them… Please… Just go away…"_

Inuyasha fought with all his remaining strength to stop his transformation. Unfortunately, the power of his father's blood was becoming stronger. He had always wondered what it would be like to become a full demon. However, with the body of a half-demon, Inuyasha would never be able to control the blood flowing through him. Unlike his brother, Inuyasha could not contain his youkai blood.

The transformation was soon complete. The youkai blood had consumed his mind. His memories had left him. Inuyasha gazed at the figures before him. He did not recognize any of them. He concluded they must have come to kill him…

"_Just go away… Please… Just wake up from this nightmare… It can't be real…"_

Inuyasha slowly advanced towards the line of humans and demons assembled before him. His blood red eyes looked from one to the other, down the line, until they gazed on the only human man standing. A sneer played upon his lips as he noticed the staff and rosary beads. He knew he would have to get to him before one of his Sacred Sutras would hit.

A girl stepped forward, away from the others. She wore strange clothes, the like of which he had never seen before. She seemed unafraid as she stepped towards him. Inuyasha growled and bared his teeth at the girl. As she kept advancing Inuyasha realized that she would have to be the first to go. Shame she was so pretty…

"_I wish I was stronger… I wanted to be like my father… Strong… In control… At peace…"_

Inuyasha stopped advancing and waited for the girl to get near to him. The others were screaming for her to stop, but she was ignoring them. Why? Inuyasha did not care why. The fact was that she was coming closer and he would soon be able to grab her.

Soon she was within reach. Inuyasha bared his claws and dug them into her arms. Pulling her closer to his body, he began thinking of how he was going to accomplish killing her. All she did was stare at him. Then her mouth moved. She was saying something that Inuyasha could barely hear. He tightened his grip on the girl and ignored her statements – her pleas. Whatever she was saying wasn't important – what was important was disposing of the threat that lay in front of him.

"_This blood... This demon blood will defeat me yet… I have no chance… I know that now… I wish I could have known sooner…"_

Inuyasha looked deep into the girl's eyes. Now that he possessed the Sacred Shikon Jewel he could have anything. The demon blood that ran through his veins was proof of that. He could be anyone – anything. He held all the power in the world.

The girl still did not fight to loosen his grip. He wished she would so he had a reason to grip her even harder. There was something in her eyes. A look that made Inuyasha wince a little – hesitate a little. Something that he seemed to recognize…

"_The Jewel gave me what I thought I wanted… Maybe I can use the Jewel to end the pain I could have caused… Would have caused…"_

Suddenly Inuyasha's eyes rolled back into his head. His body shook with great intensity. His claws released the girl slightly, allowing for small dots of red blood to appear on her sleeves. Something inside of him seemed to snap – something shattered.

Inuyasha let out a scream. The girl moved a step back, wondering if she should just run and get away while she still could. Then, without another thought, she reached out and pulled him into a fierce hug. She whispered _I Love You_ to the tortured soul wrenching inside of him. He looked at the girl – a tear forming in his now golden eyes.

"_I will sacrifice my soul to the Jewel… I will purify it… I will end it all…"_

Soon his body was still – limp. His knees began to buckle as he slid down in her grasp. She tried to hold him up but it was no use – he was falling. A pulse pushed through the air as he fell – something that the others had never felt before. Inuyasha's golden eyes darkened into brown – his hair went from silver to black.

The girl watched Inuyasha turn human. He had chosen to become human using the Shikon Jewel, but something just was not right. Something didn't feel the same as before. Inuyasha continued to sink to the ground until the girl was holding his head up inches from it. He smiled a little as the rest gathered around the pair. They were all going to witness his final decision…

"_I may not have been able to prevent my demon blood from taking over me in life… But in death I can stop it all… Now forever I will be with her… I will always protect her…"_

Inuyasha took another painful breath, his chest rising and falling in an unsteady rhythm. His friends' concerned faces assured him he didn't do anything to harm them – he hadn't allowed himself to be in that state for too long. The demon blood had been completely expelled from his body, leaving Inuyasha in his human form – leaving him to die.

The others would never understand why it had happened. He knew it was the only way to purify the Jewel. Everyone had always told him that all he had to do was wish to be human and all would be well, but he knew the truth. In the end, in order to expel his demon blood and purify the Jewel, he had to be willing to give anything – even his own life.

"_Nothing can tarnish the Jewel… I have done the only thing I know… Protect the one I love…"_

Inuyasha turned his head slightly to look at the girl once again. She noticed the glazed look in his eyes and tears began to form. He slowly reached a hand up to wipe away the tears gliding down her cheek. A shaky smile became visible on his features as he did this. He hoped she understood his intentions.

The girl slowly descended and placed her head on his chest. Her head rose and fell lightly with each breath. It was at this moment that she felt another pulse vibrate through the air. The others closed their eyes for they knew what the pulse meant. It wasn't long before she felt his heart beat its last rhythm. His breathing ceased and her head stopped its pattern. Moving her gaze upward, she looked at the calm face of the man she loved…

"_I am strong… Stronger than my brother… Stronger than my father… Stronger than anyone could have ever believed me to be… I am strong because I am me… And I love her…"_

The Jewel was once again purified. He did the only thing he could do – give his life to save the Jewel. His soul wasn't pure enough to control it, but an effort to save his friends from himself was. She knew that he did it for them – one last heroic act. Because of his sacrifice, the demon inside of him was driven out and his human form remained. No one could ever tarnish the Jewel again.

She watched as the rest of the company laid his body to rest. She shifted the Jewel in her hands as she shifted her weight on her feet. A single tear slid down her white cheek – all of the rest had already been cried. She missed him already – she would always miss him – more than anyone could know. When the others had finished, she placed a single flower on the dirt, silently saying goodbye…

"_I love you… And I always will… I hope you know that… I hope you remember that…"_


End file.
